Man Fined Following Fall From Height Death

The director of a roofing company has been fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs after a man suffered fatal injuries in a fall from height in March last year.

Trevor Hall was killed when he fell 3.5 metres through a fragile roof at premises he owned in Leicester after he had gone on to it to observe the work of Roofwise UK director Kristian Varnam, who was putting together a quote for repairs.

An investigation into the incident revealed that Mr Varnam took no steps to ensure he and others on the roof, which was made of asbestos cement sheets and plastic roof lights, were safe from any potential harm.

David Urpeth, the national head of workplace injuries at Irwin Mitchell who is based at the firm’s Sheffield office, said the incident demonstrated why safety when working at height needs to be a top priority.

He outlined: “Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of serious workplace injury and death, but time and again we see the same stories emerging about how some contractors and construction firms simply fail to take the potential dangers into account.

“We have acted in a number of cases where employees and other people have had their lives turned upside down by such negligence and urge firms to ensure they follow all guidance and use suitable equipment when working above the ground.

“Companies simply cannot afford to ignore the fundamental importance of health and safety in any workplace, particularly in the construction industry.”